Battery manufacturing method and battery

Abstract

A negative-electrode active material layer having an uneven pattern is formed on a surface of a copper foil as a negative-electrode current collector by applying an application liquid by a nozzle-scan coating method. Subsequently, an application liquid containing a polymer electrolyte material is applied by a spin coating method, thereby forming a solid electrolyte layer in conformity with the uneven pattern. Subsequently, an application liquid is applied by a doctor blade method, thereby forming a positive-electrode active material layer whose lower surface conforms to the unevenness and whose upper surface is substantially flat. A thin and high-performance all-solid-state battery can be produced by laminating an aluminum foil as a positive-electrode current collector before the application liquid is cured.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery manufacturing method, comprising:
 a first active material layer forming step of forming a first active material layer having a specified uneven pattern by applying a first application liquid containing a first active material on a surface of a base material to form a laminated body; 
 an electrolyte layer forming step of forming an electrolyte layer having unevenness substantially in conformity with said uneven pattern on said surface of said laminated body, which is formed by laminating the first active material layer on the surface of the base material, by applying a second application liquid containing a polymer electrolyte onto a surface of the laminated body, at a side where the first active material layer is formed, after the first active material layer forming step; and 
 a second active material layer forming step of forming a second active material layer having a substantially flat surface opposite to a surface touching the electrolyte layer by applying a third application liquid containing a second active material on a surface of the electrolyte layer after the electrolyte layer forming step, wherein 
 the first active material layer forming step is executed by a nozzle-scan method, in which a nozzle having a plurality of dispense openings arranged in a row in a first direction each of which dispenses a fixed amount of the first application liquid is moved relative to the surface of the base material so that the first application liquid is applied onto the base material in stripes arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, thereby forming a plurality of separated stripes of the first active material by one said movement of the nozzle. 
 
     
     
       2. The battery manufacturing method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 in laminated body, a third active material layer containing a third active material having the same polarity as the first active material is formed on a surface of a current collector; and 
 in the first active material layer forming step, the first application liquid is applied to the surface of the base material, at a side where the third active material layer is formed. 
 
     
     
       3. The battery manufacturing method according to  claim 2 , wherein the first active material and the third active material have the same or substantially the same composition. 
     
     
       4. The battery manufacturing method according to  claim 2 , wherein the third active material has a specific surface area larger than a specific surface area of the first active material. 
     
     
       5. The battery manufacturing method according to  claim 4 , further comprising a third active material layer forming step, before the first active material layer forming step, of forming the third active material layer by dispensing a fourth application liquid containing the third active material to the surface of the current collector from a second nozzle which relatively moves with respect to the surface of the current controller, wherein:
 in the first active material layer forming step, the first application liquid is dispensed to the surface of the base material from a third nozzle which relatively moves with respect to the surface of the base material; and 
 a dispense opening of the second nozzle has a larger opening area than a dispense opening of the third nozzle. 
 
     
     
       6. The battery manufacturing method of  claim 2 , wherein the first application liquid is applied onto a substantially flat surface of the third active material layer. 
     
     
       7. The battery manufacturing method according to  claim 1 , wherein in the second active material layer forming step, the third application liquid is applied by a knife coating method, a doctor blade method, a bar coating method or a slit coating method. 
     
     
       8. The battery manufacturing method according to  claim 1 , wherein in the electrolyte layer forming step, the second application liquid is applied by a spin coating method or a spray coating method. 
     
     
       9. The battery manufacturing method according to  claim 1 , further comprising a current collector laminating step of laminating a conductive film, which will become a current collector corresponding to the second active material, on a layer of the third application liquid in a state where the third application liquid applied in the second active material layer forming step is not yet cured. 
     
     
       10. The battery manufacturing method according to  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the electrolyte layer is smaller than a height difference of the uneven pattern of the first active material layer. 
     
     
       11. The battery manufacturing method of  claim 1 , wherein the base material is a metal which has a flat surface and becomes a current collector. 
     
     
       12. The battery manufacturing method of  claim 11 , wherein each of stripes or dots of the first active material is independent from other stripes or dots on the base material. 
     
     
       13. The battery manufacturing method of  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is moved relative to the base material at a constant speed.